I know what you are thinking, out of all the Wrestlemania moments we’ve had over the years, how can I pick my best of the bunch. Well it all comes down to two things for me, one is the high spots during the match and the other is the show boating. You can’t have a match on this list without a strong back story to push it along. Wrestlemania is the showcase of the Immortals and my list will hopefully do it justice. I will be counting down from five to one, and I hope that you comment below with whether you agree or not, what matches did I miss and what would be your top five.
5) Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon – Wrestlemania X, 1994.
Wrestlemania X, had two of the best matches in the history of Wrestlemania. It was hard to choose between Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon, but I opted for the latter. The reason why is because it was the more influential of the two matches, and at the time it was mind-blowing stuff. The match was for the Intercontinental Championship and solidified the ladder match within the industry. It gave birth to the top ladder high spot with Shawn Michaels splashing onto Razor Ramon from the top. It also helped push Shawn Michaels’ responsibility in the business as the best worker around. The reason I mentioned the Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart match was down to absolute technical class. It was a flawless piece of wrestling that grew out of a classic story of brotherly jealousy. Both are definite must-sees for anyone who loves professional wrestling but for me its Michaels and Ramon who take the number 5 spot.
4) Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin – Wrestlemania XIII, 1997.
This may be one of the most influential stories in the history of the business and it is when fans view of babyface’s and heel’s started to change. For five years Bret Hart was the face of the company and was the babyface hero everyone loved. Stone Cold Steve Austin on the other hand was the heel you hated to love. Austin had spent a year antagonising and pursuing Bret and finally got his match at Wrestlemania. As I said above, fans views of wrestling started to change. The 80’s brought fans who preferred the tough-talking rough bad guys over the babyface’s. Austin was being cheered in every arena but still being pushed as the bad guy, so the top brass decided to do something they hadn’t done in a long time. Take a bad guy and make him good, and take the good guy and make him bad, all in one match. This was done by Bret Hart targeting Austin’s legs and JR on commentary becoming the mouth piece for Austin. The image we all know is Austin, his face coated in blood, struggling to escape from the Sharpshooter. Instead of giving up Austin passed out, letting Hart win. Hart refused to let go and this made the crowd boo him even more. When the match was over Austin stumbled to the back on his own, without medical help, which make him the tough guy in the business. This led to the beginning of the Attitude Era. It was one of the changing factors in the company’s direction and easily deserves the number 4 spot.
3) Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock – Wrestlemania XVII, 2001.
This match is purely on this list down to my admiration for these top stars. In one corner you had the WWE Champion The Rock, and the other you had Stone Cold Steve Austin, both babyface’s in the prime of their career and a back story of each wanting to the best. They squared off in a ‘No Disqualification’ match that left both of these superstars cut open and bloody. The match was a back and forth bonanza with both delivering their signature moves and their opponents’ signature move on each other. It wasn’t the best technically but it had some excellent spots of table breakages, chair shots, and a heel turn. For years Stone Cold Steve Austin had been the face of the company who fought against management. He had a long running feud with Vince McMahon that had gone passed proving who was better and had become personal, so it was such a shock to see Austin join Vince’s side. The Rock had said in the weeks’ build-up that he was better than Austin. That Austin didn’t stand a chance and the Rock was at the top of his game. This led to Austin making a deal with the Devil. During the match Vince McMahon came down to the ring and handed Austin a chair, Austin would attack The Rock over and over again with Vince ordering Austin to keep hitting him. This led to Stone Cold winning the title and turning heel, joining an alliance with Vince McMahon. Something us fans never thought we’d see. This is number 3 purely down to its ability to last in memory. It was one of the most shocking matches in history and led to one of the greatest feuds of wrestling past, it easily deserves the number 3 spot.
2) Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar – Wrestlemania XIX, 2003.
This match was all about pitting the best of amateur wrestling against each other. Brock Lesnar challenged Kurt Angle for the WWE Undisputed Championship in Wrestlemania XIX’s main event. This was about Lesnar, a former NCAA Heavyweight Wrestling Champions, and Angle, who won Olympic gold for wrestling in 1996, going one on one to prove who the best was. The match started with mat-based grappling in honour to their amateur wrestling background, something not seen at Wrestlemania before. This escalated quickly with both delivering a variety of suplexes to one another that had the WWE Universe on their feet. This led to one of the most surreal sights in the history of wrestling as Brock Lesnar, a 295-pound man, flew off the top rope in an unbelievably athletic shooting star press which, unfortunately, missed its mark. Despite being beyond dazed and confused, Lesnar somehow still managed to deliver an F-5 to Angle and get the win. At the end of the match Lesnar offered his hand to Angle and the crowd popped loudly as the two embraced. This was the definition of wrestling with both amateur and professional spots that had us gasping with excitement. With two of the best ever seen in the industry this match deserves the number 2 spot.
1) The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels – Wrestlemania XXV, 2009
This is the first of these two top stars facing each other, but it easily deserves the number one spot. In the history of the streak it didn’t look like The Undertaker would ever lose, this was the first time we weren’t so sure. Shawn Michaels was the light, and The Undertaker was the dark. Undertaker arrived with his amazing dark entrance, whilst Shawn Michaels arrived in a white coat and hat, trying to intimidate The Undertaker. The two competitors had an outstanding back and forth match for its entire 30 minutes. Both wrestlers kicked out to each other’s finishers, the drama was especially captured when Michaels kicked-out of a tombstone piledriver, a feat that left a priceless look of confusion on The Undertakers face. Even though both competitors are nearing the end of their careers, it didn’t stop a 40+ Undertaker diving over the top rope onto a cameraman leaving us all open-mouthed. This led to both wrestlers upping their game and leaving Michaels more desperate for a win. Michaels attempted a moonsault from the top-rope but Undertaker counted into the tombstone to pick up the win, leading to the streak climbing to 17-0. The reason why this is number 1 is purely down to it being two of the best, in one of the best matches the company has ever seen. The two would eventually fight again with Michaels losing a second time which led to his retirement. These two wrestlers captured the WWE’s heart. They had both worked for the WWE through most of its era-changes but both had captured its spirit no matter what. This is easily the best of the bunch and deserves the number 1 spot.
Thanks for reading, and if you disagree, have another top 5, or just want to comment below then please do. Remember to go follow SLTD Wrestling and read all of our amazing content.
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